By: Flores, Kryz Dhaniel P.
The Department of Education has been active in revising and reshaping the country’s curriculum, most recently through the new Senior High School (SHS) program, which reduces core subjects and redefines academic tracks. While change is necessary, we must ask a harder question: Are we only fixing what's written on paper while ignoring the bigger problems in the system?
Because the truth is, education reform must go beyond the curriculum.
We can rewrite learning competencies, condense subject requirements, and change the structure of academic strands but if students are still sitting in overcrowded classrooms, using outdated books, and taught by teachers who are underpaid and under-trained, then no curriculum can truly succeed.
Too often, reforms in education are announced with buzzwords “strengthened,” “streamlined,” “future-ready.” But real transformation goes deeper. It involves solving the longstanding structural problems in our schools: the lack of classrooms, insufficient learning materials, unequal access to technology, and the growing gap between urban and rural education. It means investing not only in lesson plans but also in people, especially the teachers who are expected to bring these reforms to life.
Let’s not forget that teachers are the frontliners of education. Yet many of them still handle too many classes, receive little support in transitioning to new teaching methods, and struggle with limited resources. We cannot expect quality outcomes if we do not provide quality training and support.
Likewise, education must address the economic realities of Filipino families. How can we implement longer work immersion hours or digital learning when some students cannot even afford transportation or internet access? Reform should be grounded in empathy and inclusivity, accounting for the diverse situations of learners across the country.
Curriculum changes are only one piece of the puzzle. They are necessary, yes but they are not enough. True reform looks at the system as a whole: the learners, the teachers, the parents, the school facilities, the mental well-being of students, and the role of local communities in shaping education.
If we want to raise a generation of thinkers, innovators, and leaders, we must give them more than revised modules. We must give them safe classrooms, supportive mentors, updated tools, and an environment where they can actually thrive.
Education is not just what we teach. It's how we teach, where we teach, and how we care for the people inside the system. Until reforms reflect that reality, we are only scratching the surface.
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